1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display and more particularly to a liquid crystal display suited for a hand-held desk-top game apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a hand-held type game apparatus taken as an example of a conventional liquid crystal display 1. Such game apparatus may be similar to that disclosed in the copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 161,344, which corresponds to United Kingdom Application No. 8,020,281 and German Patent Application No. P 30 24 041.6 but such game apparatus will be described briefly to the extent required for describing the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, a housing 2 comprises a liquid crystal display portion 3 at a portion of the upper surface of the housing 2. The housing 2 further comprises at the other portions of the upper surface thereof game mode switches 6 to 9 for commanding a start of a game mode and for selecting the degree of difficulty of playing a game and character moving/changing switches 4 and 5 for moving and changing a predetermined character being displayed on the liquid crystal display portion 3.
Usually such liquid crystal display comprises a reflecting plate, not shown, on the rear surface of the liquid crystal display portion 3, i.e. on the surface at the side of the housing 2. A light beam incident upon the liquid crystal display portion 3 from outside the housing 2 is transmitted through the liquid crystal display portion 3 and then the light beam is reflected from the reflecting plate, not shown, provided on the rear surface thereof and is again led outside the liquid crystal display portion 3 after transmission thereof through the liquid crystal display portion 3. However, in the case where a segment electrode, not shown, formed in the liquid crystal display portion 3 is driven for display, the light beam incident upon the segment electrode portion is scattered or absorbed depending on the nature of the liquid crystal, with the result that the light beam does not reach the reflecting plate. Accordingly, the segment electrode portion being driven for display becomes considerably low in brightness as compared with that in the other portions, whereby the difference in brightness produces an image being displayed on the liquid crystal display portion 3. More specifically, a user observes a light beam reflected from the liquid crystal display portion 3, thereby to recognize the information being displayed by the liquid crystal display portion 3.
However, since the conventional liquid crystal display 1 has at the same side a light receiving surface where a light beam from outside is received by the liquid crystal display portion 3 and a light image observing surface where an image being displayed by a light beam reflected from the liquid crystal display portion 3, a problem was involved that it could happen that the image becomes difficult to be observed depending on the surrounding brightness and the angle at which the liquid crystal display portion 3 is observed. The reasons will be described in the following by taking a specific example. More specifically, in the case where the surrounding brightness in observing the liquid crystal display 1 is dark, an absolute light beam amount impinging upon the liquid crystal display 3 is decreased, whereby a contrast between the segment electrode portion being driven for display and the portion other than the driven portion is decreased, whereby discrimination therebetween becomes less easy. Conversely, the surrounding brightness in which the liquid crystal display 1 is observed is increased, an ample light beam amount is obtained and the above described problem will be eliminated. However, in such a case an amount of a light beam being reflected from an outer glass surface of the liquid crystal display portion 3 is accordingly increased. Therefore, depending on the angle at which the liquid crystal display portion 3 is observed, an amount of the light beam being reflected from the outer glass surface of the liquid crystal display portion 3 becomes larger than that reflected from the reflecting plate. In such a case, it becomes difficult for a user to discern a background area as viewed on the outer glass surface and the image being displayed on the liquid crystal display portion 3. For example, if and when a light source per se is seen on the outer glass surface, the image being displayed becomes hardly visible. In particular, since hand-held electronic machines such as a game apparatus, a pocketable calculator, an electronic wristwatch, and the like having a liquid crystal display are observed by a user while the same are held by hand, a viewing direction and an outer light beam direction are not constant and accordingly the above described problems are caused more often.